Find a link between physics and assignment problems

[martin_z]

Hi !

I've been working about assignments problems and how to solve them. I will have to do a presentation about it in few weeks. However, I'll have to do it in front of 2 judges: one specialized in math and one in physics.

Because i don't want the physician to get bored during my presentation, I'm currently trying to find an simple application of assignment problem in physics or chemistry.

Do you have any idea of interesting application ?

Thank you for your help.
Please excuse my poor english

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assignment_problem

 

[Simon Bridge]

Welcome to PF;
The subject, "assignment problems", is too broad to suggest a specific.
I'd suggest the link to physics would be the link to hard science - how would scientific method apply to approaching assignment problems?

Apart from that - how about just picking a physics assignment off the web, off the "homework" forum here for eg. and use how someone has approached the problem as an example of the sorts of things you are talking about?

 

[MisterX]

It has no direct application to physics to which I am aware.

However, we may consider the reverse. We can apply physics to solving assignment problems.

The notable example is D-Wave quantum optimizers which have been used to solve quadratic assignment problems.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013...timizer-pitted-against-traditional-computers/

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/business/quantum-study.pdf

 

[martin_z]

Welcome to PF;
The subject, "assignment problems", is too broad to suggest a specific.
I'd suggest the link to physics would be the link to hard science - how would scientific method apply to approaching assignment problems?

Apart from that - how about just picking a physics assignment off the web, off the "homework" forum here for eg. and use how someone has approached the problem as an example of the sorts of things you are talking about?

Thank you for your answer ! I think we don't talk about the same assignment problems. I would like to find an basic physical example that could be explained by solving an assignment problem.

It has no direct application to physics to which I am aware.

However, we may consider the reverse. We can apply physics to solving assignment problems.

The notable example is D-Wave quantum optimizers which have been used to solve quadratic assignment problems.

http://arstechnica.com/science/2013...timizer-pitted-against-traditional-computers/

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/business/quantum-study.pdf

Thank you for the links but the level of physics is too high for me and it would take me ages to analyze them. I've been thinking of an example in chemistry. Do you think it would be possible to determine the geometry of a molecule considering the energetic cost it would take to bring the atoms?

 

[Simon Bridge]

Thank you for your answer ! I think we don't talk about the same assignment problems. I would like to find an basic physical example that could be explained by solving an assignment problem.

You mean as in a problem with assigning things?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assignment_problem
Context is everything.

I think you may find something representative as an "inverse problem" in physics - statistical physics and stochastics. If you google "physics assignment problem" you'll get a lot of students wanting help with assignments ;) but scholar has articles that may be more useful for you.

Or something like this:
http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=...page&q=assignment problems in physics&f=false

They will all involve pretty advanced physics - it's not an approach that would be used for something easy.